Compressor



June 8, 1965 K. H. RHODES 3,187,993

COMPRESSOR Filed June 13, 1962 INVENTOR. e :L7/z M Wans 3,187,993 QMPRESSR Keith H. Rhodes, Racine, Wis., assigner to Weiher Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Y Filed .lune 13, 1962, Ser. No. 202,314 1 Claim. (Cl. 230--152) This invention relates generally to compressors, and more particularly to a novel air compressor of relatively simple and economical construction.

Commercially available `air compressors are generally precision devices having a number of close tolerance components which inherently necessitate a high degree of carel in manufacture and assembly. As a result, the manufacturing costs, and therefore the selling price of such known air compressors is relatively high.

The present invention is directed to a novel air com,- pressor that can be produced at a minimum cost. The compressor consists of relatively inexpensive stampings, commercially available bar stock and tubing and plastic sheet material that is cut to a specific configuration.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is an improved compressor. l

Another object is an air compressor which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

Another object is an air compressor having a minimum number of components.

Other advantages of the instant invention will be apparent from the following specification, claim and drawings, wherein;

FIGURE 1 is a sectional View taken through the compressor of the instant invention shown in operative association with an electric motor;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional View taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE l; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the internal components of the air compressor with the housing thereof removed.

An air compressor 10, in accordance with an exemplary constructed embodimentV of the instant invention, comprises a housing 12 made from, for example, 16 gauge steel tubing. One end portion 14 of the housing 12 is secured to a rear end cap 16 comprising, for example, a steel stamping, as by brazing.` The end cap 16 has a radial flange portion 17 and an axially extending flange 18 thereon, the flange 18 serving to position an inlet disc 20 axially of the housing 12. The inlet disc 20 is made from, for example, nylon sheet material cut to a circular coniiguration complementary to the housing 12, and is retained in the housing 12 in sealed relationship thereto.

The inlet disc 20 has an air inlet aperture 22 therein (FIG. 3) that communicates with an air inlet chamber 24 dened by the radial and axial flange portions 17 and 18, respectively, on the cap 16, the housing 12, and the inlet disc 20. Air entering through a plurality of air inlet apertures 26 in the radial portion 17 of the end cap 16 passes into the inlet chamber 24, thence through the inlet aperture 22 in the inlet disc 20 into a compression chamber 28 internally of the housing 12. The inlet disc 20 also has a circular aperture 30 therein for the acceptance of an outputshaft 32 of an electric motor'34.

A rotor` 40 made from, for example, aluminum bar stock, has a central bore 42 therein for acceptance of the shaft 32 of the motor 34. The rotor 40 is rotatable with the shaft 32, torque being transmitted thereto as by a conventional key 44.

The rotor 40 has three generally radially directed longitudinally extending slots 50, 52 and 54 (FIG. 2) for the acceptance of a like plurality of vanes 56, 58 and 60, respectively. The vanes 56, 58 and 60 are made from,

United States Patent C) 3,187,993 Patented June 8, 1965 inner peripheral surface 70 thereof upon rotation and v move radially outwardly relative to the rotor 40, due to centrifugal force.

An outlet disc 80 made from, for example, nylon sheet material, is slidably juxtaposed against an outer end portion 82 of the rotor 40 to function as an end wall for the compression chamber 28. The outlet disc 80 has a discharge aperture 84 therein (FIGS. 2 and 3) that communicates with afdischarge chamber 85 and` a discharge nipple 86 on an outer end cap 88. The end cap 88 has an annular rib 89 therein that bears against and positions the outlet disc 80 axially of the housing 12. The end cap 88 is secured to the housing 12 as by a press fit.

A drive pin 90 extends through a complementary aperture 92 in the end cap 88 and an aligned aperture 94 in the outlet disc 88 to position the disc 80 within the housing 12 and preclude rotation thereof. It is to be noted that the inner end portion of the drive pin 90 extends into the central -bore 42 in the rotor 40 to avoid Yinterference therewith.

As seen in FIG. 2, a pair of motor clamp bolts 100 and 102 extend through complementary apertures 104 and 106 in the end cap 16 to retain the compressor 10 in juxtaposed position against the motor 34.

The housing 12 is so constructed so as to be eccentric to the drive shaft 32 of the motor 34. This eccentricity is so designed that the inlet disc 20 is restrained from rotating, thereby locating the inlet aperture 22 and maintaining the outer diameter of the inlet disc 20 in sealed contact with the housing 12. The drive pin 90 performs a similar function for the outlet disc 80.

Air pressure in the chamber 85 between the outlet disc and end cap 88 tends to bias the outlet disc 80 into intimate contact with the rotor 40, thereby sealing the end faces of the rotor 40 and the blades or vanes 56, 58 and 60. Clockwise rotation of the rotor 40, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, is desirable.

Centrifugal force causes the blades or vanes 56, 58 and 60 to move outwardly, as guided by the slots 50, 52 and 54, into sealing contact with the housing 12, thereby forming the compression chambers 28 of varying volume as rotation causes the vanes to alternately extend and retract in the slots 50, 52 and 54. As the vanes 56, 58 and 60 move radially outwardly, the volume of the chamber 28 increases and air is inducted into the compressor 10. When the compression chamber 28 volume is at a maximum, the inlet aperture 22 is cut off and the outlet aperture 84 is uncovered. Upon continued rotation, the chamber 28 reduces its volume until, when volume is at a minimum, the outlet aperture 84 is cut of and the inlet aperture 22 is uncovered to induct additional air thereinto.

From the foregoing description, it should be apparent that the air compressor of the instant invention is of rela- .tively simple construction, comprising a housing made It is to be understood that the specific construction of the improved' compressor herein disclosed and described is presented for the purpose of explanation and illustrationl and is not intended to indicate limits of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the ollovving claim.

What is claimed is: An air compressor comprising a cylindrical housing, o Y a pair of end caps at opposite ends of said housing having radially: extending portions complementary to said housing" and axially inwardly extending portions, respectively, Y an inlet disc abutting the axially inwardly extending portion of the end cap at one en'd of said housing, said inlet disc and said end cap in conjunction with said housing detining'a relatively large generally annular inlet chamber, said inlet disc having an inlet aperture therein, an outletdisc abutting the axially inwardly extending portion of the end cap at the other end of said housing', said outlet disc and the end cap at the other end Y of said housing in conjunction with said housing dening a relatively large generally cylindrical discharge chamber, substantiallythe entire area of said outlety disc being exposed to compressed air in said discharge chamber, said outlet disc having n an outlet aperture communicating with said discharge chamber a generally/,cylindrical rotor between said inlet and outlet discs having shaft and rotatable about an axis extending generally parallel to the central axis of said housing in radially spaced relation thereto, said rotor having 3,is7,99e

isy

a Vcentral bore therein for the acceptance of a drive a plurality of generally axially extending slots extending relatively dcepiy into said rotor in spaced relation to and beyond the bore therein, and

a plurality of slidable nylon vanes in the slots in said rotor, saidv vanes slidably engaging the inner peripheral surface of said housing and said inlet and outlet discs to dene a variable volume chamber to eifect compression of the air therein upon rotation of said rotor relative to said housing, the bias of the compressed air in :said discharge chamber on said outlet disc biasing said outlet disc against said rotor and said vanes which in turn are biased against said inlet disc thereby` to effect a self energizing seal between said outlet disc, rotor, vanes and inlet disc.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,496,222 6/24 Hill 23o-1141n 1,660,563 2/28 A.'lVlalbay 230-152 V1,669,779 5/28 Reavell 23o-152 11,728,321 9/,29 Antonelli 1o3-136 1,861,706 6/32 MCC/rackell 121-84 1,914,091 6/33 Hamilton 121-84 2,553,837 7/ 51 Frei 23o-152 2,636,667 V4/53 Frei 23o-152 2,852,183 9/58 Breinig 230-152 3,057,304 10/62 Rohde Q 103-136 3,070,032 12/62- Rohde 105-136A A o l 'n FOREGN PATENTS 136,385 10/47 Australia.

lOSEPl-l H. BRANSON, la., Primary Examiner.

LAURENCE V. EFNER, Examiner. 

